Forecast

Texas House gives early OK to do-not-resuscitate bill

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas House has tentatively passed a compromise on a bill requiring explicit patient approval for do-not-resuscitate orders in hospitals, advancing a much-watched end-of-life care proposal.

Saturday night's approval by simple voice vote means that only a largely formulaic, final vote is all that's needed to clear the chamber and move closer to Gov. Greg Abbott to be signed into law.

The bill is designed to prohibit doctors from unilaterally exercising do not resuscitate orders, but also now includes protections form liability for medical professionals acting in good faith. Those protections helped advance the bill.

Do-not-resuscitate proposals stalled during Texas' regular legislative session that ended in May, but Abbott made the issue a priority when he called lawmakers into a month-long special session that is now wrapping up.